Fiber optic cable cleaner

ABSTRACT

A device for cleaning the tips of optical fibers which have been installed in a connector, such as a plug or a receptacle. The device includes a tool body having cleaning media therein, such as a strip of adhesive tape, and a latch for releasably attaching the connector to the tool body. The adhesive tape may be in the form of a roll on a supply spool. In the embodiment designed for a plug, the tool body has an appropriately shaped opening for receiving the plug, and push rods are provided with the tool body which contact the fibers and urge them towards a cleaning position. In the embodiment designed for a receptacle, the receptacle is modified by having a tilt arm which can move the fibers to the cleaning position, and the tool body includes features to actuate the tilt arm as the tool body is inserted into the receptacle. Alternate designs are presented in which the cleaning media is not located in the tool body, but is manually applied to the fibers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to devices for preparing theterminal end of a telecommunications line (whether voice, data, video,etc.) so as to improve the quality of a connection in the line, and moreparticularly to a device for cleaning the end face of an optical fiberto be interconnected with another optical fiber or with anoptoelectronic component.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Optical fibers have replaced copper wire as the preferred medium forcarrying telecommunications signals. As with copper wire, it isnecessary to provide for the interconnection of optical fibers, duringinstallation, repair or replacement of the fibers, and to terminate thefibers onto active optical devices. There are generally two kinds ofinterconnection devices, splices and connectors. The term "splice"usually refers to a device which provides a permanent connection betweena pair of optical fibers. The term "connector," in contrast, usuallyrefers to a device which may be engaged and disengaged repeatedly, oftenwith a different plug or receptacle. A connector may also refer to theplug portion of a fiber termination, which is attached to an opticaldevice. Optical devices include, for example, optical sensors(photoelectric diodes) and light sources (LED's, laser diodes). Thetermination of an optical fiber may be indirect, i.e., the fiber may beconnected to some other (passive) optical device such as a beam splitteror polarizer, before the light beam is directed to the active opticaldevice. The present invention is generally directed to cleaning theterminal end face of an optical fiber to be used in a connector orsplice, but these terms should not be construed in a limiting sensesince the present invention may be used in plug and receptacle designswhich provide a permanent or temporary connection or termination.

In the fiber optic connector described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,498, theconnector has a plug and a receptacle, the plug having afiber-receiving, V-shaped groove for each fiber to be interconnected,with the end of the fiber terminating in the middle of the groove. Thereceptacle has a plate which retracts as the plug is inserted, wherebyanother fiber is lowered into the V-groove of the plug. Upon fullinsertion of the plug, the two fibers ends are in contact, and the fibersecured to the receptacle is elastically deformed to maintain acontinuous compressive load between the terminal ends of the fibers. Theconnector provides for the quick disconnection and reconnection of aplurality of optical fiber pairs, without the use of ferrules or otheralignment members. High strength fiber may be used to withstand repeatedinsertions and bowing of the fibers. The exact lengths of fibers (i.e.,the relative locations of their terminal ends in the plug andreceptacle) are not critical since tolerance is provided by the slacktaken up in the bowed receptacle fiber (the terminal portion of thefiber secured to the plug does not bow, but always remains straight).The ends of the fibers may be prepared by simply cleaving and beveling;the end faces may optionally be cleaved at an angle (i.e.,non-orthogonal to the fiber axis) to reduce signal reflections.

In the connector of the '498 patent, it is incumbent upon the user orcraftsperson installing the plug or receptacle to keep the terminal endfaces of the fibers as clean as possible, to minimize losses in lighttransmission across the connection. Since this design is intended forrepeated insertion of a plug into a receptacle, it is possible that theplug fiber ends will become contaminated while the plug is outside ofthe receptacle, and it is also possible for dust to enter the receptacleand contaminate the fibers therein. It therefore may become necessary toclean the fibers after they have been affixed to the plug or receptaclehousing. When originally installing the fibers, they are commonlycleaved to yield a fractured end face which may be further polished orbeveled, and then cleaned by wiping the end with a lint-free cloth whichhas been dipped in, e.g., isopropyl alcohol. This task is difficult toaccomplish after installation, since in many designs, such as the '498receptacle, the fibers are located within a housing in such a mannerthat they are difficult to access.

Another fiber cable cleaner, sold by Molex, is essentially a box with awindow, and a spool of lint-free cloth located in the box. By opening adoor at the window, a portion of the cloth is exposed such that thefibers may be pushed against the cloth surface for cleaning. This designalso requires that the fibers be freely exposed.

Japanese Patent Application (Kokai) no. 7-287124 describes the use of acleaning media to clean an optical fiber. A solvent is directed at thecleaning strips while a fiber end is held between the strips. Thisdevice, however, also requires the fiber to be exposed so that it can beinserted into the device, and further cleans the sides of the fiber butdoes not necessarily clean the fiber tip. It would, therefore, bedesirable and advantageous to devise a fiber optic cable cleaner whichnot only allows cleaning of fiber end faces which are otherwiseinaccessible within a connector housing, but which further avoids theuse of liquid solvents that must be applied to the fibers or cleaningmedia.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a device for cleaning the tip of anoptical fiber retained in a connector, the device comprising a toolbody, means for releasably attaching said tool body to the connector,cleaning media located in said tool body, and means for urging the tipof the optical fiber toward said cleaning media when said tool body isattached to the connector. Different embodiments are presented forcleaning fibers in a plug versus a receptacle (socket). In eitherembodiment, the cleaning media is preferably an adhesive strip. Theadhesive strip may be wound on a supply spool located inside the toolbody; in this case, it is preferably to provide an adhesive strip thathas a release layer coated on a side of the strip opposite the adhesiveside of the strip, to ensure that the adhesive layer does not peel awaywhen the spool is advanced. Advancing the spool presents a fresh surfaceof the cleaning media to the tip of the optical fiber. It is mostpreferable that the optical fiber tip be generally perpendicular to thecleaning media when the tip contacts the media.

In the plug cleaner embodiment, the tool body has an opening forreceiving the plug. If the plug has a movable door thereon to provideaccess to the fibers, then the tool body may be provided with means foractuating the door on the plug, such as a camming surface formed at theopening of the tool body, adapted to urge the door sideways uponinsertion of the plug in the opening.

In the receptacle cleaner embodiment, the tool body has a forward endwhose shape is adapted for entering the opening of the receptacle. Thereceptacle may have therein a tilt mechanism which can lift the fibersfrom their normal, operative position, into a cleaning position, and inthis case the tool body includes means for actuating the tilt mechanismas the tool body enters the opening of the receptacle.

Simpler implements may be provided for either a plug or receptacle tomove the fibers to an accessible position whereby they can be manuallycleaned with a small strip of material having an adhesive layer at theend of the strip. In these designs, no cleaning media (i.e., adhesivetape) is located inside the tool body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a longitudinal section of one connector whichmay be cleaned using the present invention, the fiber optic connectorincluding a plug and receptacle;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the plug and receptacle of FIG. 1, witha partial section revealing the bowed fibers in the plug interior;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the plug used with thepresent connector, with a sliding door;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the plug used withthe present connector, with the plug shroud omitted to reveal interiordetails;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the receptacle usedwith the present connector, with a hinged door having camming surfaceswhich cooperate with camming surfaces on the plug door;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a tool used to clean the tips of thefibers in a plug;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a tool used to clean the tips of thefibers in a modified receptacle;

FIG. 8 is perspective view of another modified receptacle having a fiberpositioning piece for cleaning;

FIG. 9 is perspective view showing insertion of a plug into an alternatecable cleaner; and

FIG. 10 is rear perspective view showing the plug fully inserted intothe cable cleaner of FIG. 9.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the figures, and in particular with reference toFIGS. 1 and 2, there is depicted a connector 10 having optical fiberswhose ends may be cleaned with the fiber optic cable cleaner of thepresent invention. Connector 10 is generally comprised of an elongateplug 12 and a socket or receptacle 14. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectionof connector 10 showing plug 12 fully inserted in receptacle 14, andreceptacle 14 mounted on a support surface or bulkhead 16. FIG. 2 is aperspective view with bulkhead 16 omitted, also with a partiallongitudinal section to illustrate the interior of the connector. Thedepicted embodiment provides for the interconnection of two pairs offibers, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that the inventiveconcepts described herein extend to single pair interconnection as wellas interconnection of a multiplicity of pairs.

Plug 12, shown also in FIG. 3, includes a fiber holder 18 which may beconstructed of two clamping elements or blocks 20 and 22, and a plugbody or shroud 24 which is attached to fiber holder 18. Shroud 24 may beremovably attached to plug fiber holder 18 by means of, e.g., latches 26integrally molded onto blocks 20 and 22, which engage cutouts 28 formedin corresponding walls of shroud 24. Fibers 30 and 32 which are to beinterconnected or terminated pass through holder 18 and into the hollowinterior of shroud 24. The terminal portions of the fibers are bare,that is, they are not affixed to any alignment member such as a ferrule.Shroud 24 therefore serves not only to assist in physically locatingplug 12 in receptacle 14, but also to provide protection for theotherwise exposed terminal portions of the fibers (the shroud could bemade retractable to fully expose the fiber tips, if required). Holder 18has fiber-receiving grooves 34 formed in the adjacent surfaces of blocks20 and 22; these two components may be identical parts. Holder 18 maysecure the fibers, for example, by clamping, adhesives or both.Alternative means may be used to secure the fibers to holder 18. Holder18 may have an extension 36 surrounding the fibers for additional strainrelief and clamping. A boot 38 may be provided for further strain reliefand capturing of the strengthening members in the fiber cable (KEVLARstrands), and to assist in handling plug 12. The strengthening membersneed not be crimped but they may be adhered onto the holder. Strainrelief of the strengthening members is attained by a force fit ofstraightwall section of the plug fiber holder within the boot. This isdependent upon the choice of materials used for the boot and the plugfiber holder, and yields a design that does not require a crimp ring andwhich assists in ease of manufacture and reduces the number of neededcomponents. Alternatively, an extension may be formed on the holder witha "torture" (irregular) path for clamping the strands and retaining theboot with an interference fit. "One-way" barbs on the surface of theplug fiber holder assist in the attachment of the boot to the plug fiberholder, which also assists in the attachment of the cable to the plug.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, a latch 40 is integrally molded ontoone side of shroud 24 to releasably secure plug 12 to receptacle 14.Latch 40 also imparts mechanical polarization to the plug, i.e., it canonly be inserted into receptacle 14 in one orientation. Plug 12 may bebiased in the interconnected position, e.g., by a springboard (aflexible cantilever) formed inside receptacle 14, to be pushed backagainst latch 40 to minimize the effect of manufacturing tolerances.

FIG. 4 depicts a slightly different embodiment 12' of a plug. Thisembodiment employs a similar shroud, which is omitted from FIG. 4 tobetter illustrate the alternative fiber holder 18' and interiorfeatures. Holder 18' is again formed from two blocks 20' and 22', butthose two blocks are not identical in this embodiment. First, block 22'has an extension or landing 42 which has several upstanding posts 44, 46and 48. These posts serve to guide the fibers within shroud 24 in properposition for location in the V-grooves of receptacle 14 as discussedfurther below, and limit skewing of the fibers, ensuring properalignment of the fiber tips with openings in shroud 24. Latch 40' ismolded into block 22', along the underside of landing 42. Second, thefiber passageways in holder 18' are formed by providing V-shaped grooves34' only in block 22', with the corresponding surface of block 20' beingflat to provide only three fiber-clamping surfaces. V-grooves 34' arefurther recessed in block 22', and steps 50 are formed on block 20'which seat in the recesses and facilitate proper attachment of theblocks together.

Fibers 30 and 32 extend generally straight within shroud 24 wheneverplug 12 (or plug 12') is not installed in receptacle 14. The fibers are"generally" straight in that they extend without significant bowing,although there might be some minute flexing of the fibers as a result ofgravity. Sufficient space is provided within shroud 24, however, toallow the fibers to bow significantly, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, whenthe plug is fully inserted into the receptacle. The forward end 52 ofshroud 24 has a pair of slots 54 and 56 formed therein which provideaccess to the terminal ends of the fibers located within shroud 24. Ahood or door 58 is slidably attached to forward end 52 of shroud 24,with two covers or bars 60, 62 which overlap slots 54 and 56,respectively, when door 58 is in the closed position of FIG. 3. Whendoor 58 slides to the open position, bars 60 and 62 move to allow accessto fibers 30 and 32 via slots 54 and 56, respectively, without the needfor the fibers to extend outside of shroud 24, although this would beacceptable in alternative designs. Door 58 is slidably attached toshroud 24 with a snap fit resulting from two tongue-and-groovearrangements 64 and 66 (FIG. 1). In addition to preventing dust fromentering through the slots, door 58 also prevents any light in the plugfibers from escaping and injuring a user's eyes. As discussed below inconjunction with FIG. 6, door 58 may also reveal, in the open position,one or more holes on the top of shroud 24 which may receive push rods totip the fibers out openings 54 and 56 to allow cleaning of the fibertips.

Receptacle 14, also shown in FIG. 5, includes a body or housing 70 andanother fiber holder 72 (best seen in FIG. 2). Housing 70 has an opening74 whose size and shape generally corresponds to that of the forward end52 of plug 12. Housing 70 may also have appropriate features (such aslatch arms 76) allowing it to be releasably mounted to bulkhead 16 whichmay be, for example, a patch panel or workstation outlet (wall boxfaceplate). The latch means may provide for mounting from the front ofthe panel, to allow all preparatory work to be done at the front side ofthe panel, or may provide for mounting from the rear of the panel, toallow all preparatory work to be done at the back side of the panel. Thereceptacle fibers (only one of which, 78, is visible in FIGS. 1 and 2)are secured to receptacle fiber holder 72 by clamping as well, using aclamping plate 80 adapted to grip the fibers at a first end of holder72. The terminal ends of the receptacle fibers extend intofiber-alignment grooves formed in projections or fingers 82 and 84 at asecond end of receptacle fiber holder 72. The grooves are preferablyV-shaped, although they may be more rounded, i.e., U-shaped. Anintermediate section 86 of the fiber-alignment grooves is curved so asto maintain the receptacle fibers in the grooves by the elastic urgingof the slightly bowed fibers. Additional means may be provided, such asthe fiber hold-down shown in FIG. 7, to retain the fibers firmly in thegrooves. The fibers do not extend to the very tips of fingers 82 and 84but rather terminate a sufficient distance from the tips to allow propersupport of the plug fibers when the connector is in use. If thefiber-to-fiber contact occurs very near the tips of the V-grooves (or ifthe plug is inserted too far), the plug fiber can bend beyond the grooveand lift away from the apex, breaking the connection.

Receptacle 14 may have as many of these fingers with fiber-alignmentgrooves as there are fibers in plug 12. Fingers 82 and 84 are shaped toproject into slots 54 and 56, respectively, of shroud 24 when plug 12 isfully inserted into receptacle 14. Fingers 82 and 84 enter shroud 24 atan oblique (nonzero) angle with respect the plug axis, i.e., the axisdefined by either of the plug fibers 30 or 32 when they are extendingstraight within shroud 24. This angle is preferably about 42°, whichbalances concerns regarding fiber end face contact pressure, fiberforces directed into the V-groove, the effects of friction, and thedesired tolerance window (a larger angle increases tolerances). Sincethe receptacle fibers are not directed toward opening 74, there is nodanger of escaping light injuring a user's eyes. Receptacle fiber holder72 is pivotally attached to housing 70 by providing posts on the firstend of holder 72 which snap into cutouts or hooks 88 formed at one endof receptacle housing 70. Holder 72 releasably locks into place usingbumps or studs formed on the side of the holder, which engage holes 89in receptacle housing 70. An alternative design for the receptacle fiberholder may be used in which the holder is molded as a single piece witha breakaway top or cover plate that can snap onto its base, the basehaving the fiber-positioning grooves.

Receptacle 14 may also have a flap or door 90 to minimize entry ofcontaminants through opening 74. The disclosed embodiment uses areceptacle door which cooperates with the plug door to actuate plug door58 between closed and open states as plug 12 is inserted into receptacle14. Specifically, receptacle door 90 has two camming surfaces 92 and 94which interact with camming surfaces 96 and 98, respectively, on plugdoor 58. Receptacle door 90 is hinged along one edge by providing posts100 that snap into cutouts 102 in receptacle housing 70. Means (notshown), such as a spring or camming linkages molded into the part, maybe used to bias door 90 in the closed position. When plug 12 is insertedinto receptacle 14, forward end 52 and plug door 58 push againstreceptacle door 90, raising and opening it. The ramped camming surface94 then begins to forcibly abut camming surface 98 on plug door 58,pushing door 58 to the side to reveal slots 54 and 56. If plug 12 isthereafter removed from receptacle 14, then ramped camming surface 92similarly pushes against camming surface 96 as the plug is removed,sliding plug door 58 back into its closed position. Shroud 24 hasgrooves or indentations 104 and 106 to accommodate camming surfaces 92and 94 when the plug is in the receptacle, which also serve to furtherstabilize the connection. Other door designs may be implemented withreceptacle 14, such as a door which manually opened outward and snappedshut.

All of the components of connector 10 (except plug boot 38) may beformed of any durable material, preferably an injection moldable polymersuch as polycarbonate, VALOX (a polyester sold by General Electric), orRADEL (a polyarylsulfone sold by Amoco). The material may includeconductive fillers to render the components semiconductive in order tominimize triboelectric charging which can induce fiber endcontamination. Boot 38 is preferably formed of low modulus copolyesterelastomer such as that available from RTP of Winona, Minn., undermaterial number 1559X67420B.

Assembly and installation of connector 10 is straightforward. Plug 12 istypically assembled in the factory, although it may easily be assembledin the field. In this regard, the term "pre-terminated" as used hereinsimply refers to the attachment of optical fibers to plug 12 orreceptacle 14 regardless of whether such attachment occurs in thefactory, the field, or elsewhere. It is also understood that plug 12 orreceptacle 14 could be mounted on a jumper cable or patch cord with anykind of optical connector at the other end of the fibers. It isrecommended that fibers be used which have a longer life when exposed toindoor environments, such as the high-strength fibers available fromMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. (3M--assignee of the presentinvention). Those fibers have a conventional core and cladding which issurrounded by a novel three-layer construction, as discussed in U.S.Pat. No. 5,381,504. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate thatthe connector can accommodate discrete optical fibers or multifiberribbons, as well as both singlemode and multimode fibers, and that thecleaning device discussed below can be used with any suchconfigurations.

Fibers which are to be pre-terminated to either plug 12 or receptacle 14should be stripped, cleaved and cleaned. If the fibers are in the formof a ribbon which is part of a bundled group of ribbons in a cable, thena portion of the cable jacket must first be cut back to reveal theribbons. Most cables have several protective layers, and each of theselayers must be removed to provide access to the fiber ribbons. Similarsteps must be taken to remove the protective layers of a cable having asingle discrete fiber. After the fibers have been removed from theprotective cable jacket, they are stripped. The stripped fibers are thenready for cleaving which may be accomplished using any one of severalcommercially available fiber cleavers, such as that shown in U.S. Pat.No. 5,024,363. The cleave length for attachment of the fibers to plug 12is the distance from fiber holder 18 which is about 23 mm. Forattachment of fibers to receptacle 14, the cleave length is the distancefrom fiber holder 72 which is about 15 mm. Any debris should be cleanedoff the fibers using alcohol. Prior to removing the fibers from thecleaver, the craftsperson may inspect the fibers to confirm that the endfaces on all fibers are acceptable, i.e., that they are smooth cleaveswith no spikes. The fiber viewer disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,210,647may be used for this purpose. Once the craftsperson is satisfied thateach of the fibers has an acceptable end face, the fibers may be removedfrom the cleaver. The fiber end faces are preferably flat with achamfered or beveled periphery (or at least partially beveled) to obtainthe advantages associated with such a fiber end profile, as discussedmore thoroughly in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/122,755. Thefiber end faces may alternatively be radiused (generally spherical). Thefibers may further optionally be provided with an asymmetric treatment,like cleaving so as to impart an angled end face, as taught in U.S. Pat.No. 5,048,908. If so, in order to minimize insertion losses andreflections, the fibers should be inserted so that the orientation ofthe angled end faces of one set of fibers (i.e., in plug 12) complementsthe orientation of the angled end faces of the other set of fibers(i.e., in receptacle 14). For the plug fibers, fiber preparation may bedone after the fiber cable has been threaded through boot 38.

Final assembly of plug 12 comprises the simple steps of clamping thefibers in the V-grooves of holder 18 and snapping shroud 24 onto holder18. An assembly fixture may be used to guide shroud 24 onto the plugfiber holder so as to avoid damaging the fibers as they are insertedinto the shroud. The ends of the plug fibers should terminate about 0.5mm from the end of the shroud. Completion of receptacle 14 is alsosimple. The receptacle fibers are clamped onto fiber holder 72 usingclamping plate 80, with the ends of the receptacle fibers terminating inthe fiber-alignment grooves about 15 mm from the tips of fingers 82 and84. The receptacle fibers may be cleaved after securing them to thefiber holder. The fibers may be assembled into the holder using theV-groove to actually pick up the fiber holder from the cleaver, to avoidcontamination of the fiber tips, if mating and guiding features areprovided on one or both parts. A punch-down tool could also be used tosimplify assembly. Fiber holder 72 is attached to housing 70, first bypushing the pivot posts into cutouts 88, and then snapping the studsinto holes 89. Care should be taken during placement of the fibers inthe V-grooves and attachment of the holder to the receptacle to notcontaminate the fiber tips.

Installation of connector 10 is equally straightforward. Receptacle 14is optionally mounted to any desired surface by convenient means, suchas latching arms 76 (other constructions could be molded into housing 70for custom mounting). Several receptacles could also be mounted in asingle module, and they can be designed for front or rear loading, orsliding from the side. After receptacle 14 is mounted, the connection iscompleted by simply inserting plug 12 into opening 74. Plug 12 isreleased from receptacle 14 by latch 40.

FIGS. 1 and 2 depict full insertion of the plug. As plug 12 is inserted,door 90 opens and cams door 58 open as described above, allowing fingers82 and 84 to enter slots 54 and 56 respectively. Plug fibers 30 and 32contact the fiber-alignment grooves in fiber holder 72, and slide untiltheir end faces abut the respective end faces of the receptacle fibers,and then become bowed when the plug is fully inserted. The plug fibersmay undergo an S-shaped bend. All force at the fiber-to-fiber interfacecomes from the resilience (elastic deformation) of bowed fibers 30 and32 which maintains a continuous compressive load between the ends.Connector 10 is preferably designed to maintain a minimum bend radius of0.3" on the fibers.

The dimensions of the various components of connector 10 may varyconsiderably depending upon the desired application. The followingapproximate dimensions are considered exemplary. Plug 12 has an overalllength of 57 mm, a width of 12 mm, and a thickness of 8 mm, and plugfiber holder 18 provides clamping grooves that are 13 mm long. Plugshroud 24 extends 25 mm beyond holder 18, providing an interior spacewhich is 24 mm long, 10 mm wide and 6 mm high. Opening 74 of receptacle14 is 12 mm×10 mm. Its overall height and depth are 38 mm and 36 mm.Receptacle fiber holder 72 is 20 mm long (from the end where the fibersare clamped to the tips of fingers 82 and 84), 12 mm wide and 1.5 mmthick. The fiber-alignment grooves in fingers 82 and 84 are 11.5 mm longand have a maximum depth of 2 mm which suitably accommodates mostconventional optical fibers. The interior angle of the V-grooves shouldnot be too narrow since this might result in excess friction with thefibers, but it also should not be too wide since this would not keep thefibers guided properly. A 90° interior angle is believed to be a goodcompromise.

With further reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, those figures depict toolsaccording to the present invention, used to clean the tips of thevarious optical fibers. FIG. 6 shows a tool 130 used to clean the tipsof the fibers in plug 12. Tool 130 has a body 132 adapted to be held inthe hand, with an opening 134 in body 132 for receiving plug 12. Tool130 also has an actuation member or lever 136 pivotally attached to body130 at 138. In FIG. 6, lever 136 is shown in the actuated position, inwhich state a push rod or tab 140 enters a hole or slot 142 in the topof the plug shroud, and contacts the plug fibers, forcing the fiber endsout of the shroud through slots 54, 56. In the unactuated position,lever 136 swings away from opening 132 and retracts push tab 140 so thatplug 12 can enter tool 130 without interfering with the push tab. Lever136 is preferably biased toward the unactuated position by, e.g., aspring.

Opening 134 and lever 136 are located such that the plug fibers, whenpushed through the shroud slots, are forcibly abutted against theadhesive side 144 of a strip of tape 146. Tape 146 is peeled away from atape roll 148 which is stored in tool body 132. Two rollers 150 and 152are provided to allow the tape to advance so that a fresh adhesivesurface is presented to the fiber tips. To facilitate use, tape 146 maybe wound about another roller 154 forming a ratchet wheel which engagesa pawl 156. Pawl 156 is in turn located on another handle or pivotinglever 158 attached to tool body at 160. In this manner, the user mayadvance the tape and clean the plug fibers by squeezing handle 158 whileholding the tool. Handle 158 may also be biased by, e.g., a spring,toward the outermost position. In an alternate embodiment, lever 136 maybe mechanically linked to rollers 150 and 152 such that the adhesivetape is presented to the fiber tip in a generally perpendicularorientation, such that the fiber is not dragged across the adhesivesurface, but rather only the very end of the tip is touched to theadhesive surface.

FIG. 7 shows a tool 162 used to clean the tips of the fibers in amodified receptacle 14'. The shape of tool 162 is reminiscent of plug12, whereby it is adapted to be inserted into receptacle 14' in asimilar manner. Receptacle 14' is generally identical to receptacle 14,except for the provision of certain features designed to raise thereceptacle fibers up out of the V-grooves for cleaning. These featuresinclude a fiber hold-down or retainer 164 and a tilt linkage 166. Fiberretainer 164 is pivotally attached to the fiber holder at 168, andincludes a block or pad 170 located at one end of the retainer arm 172adapted to push the fibers into the V-groove and keep them nestedproperly therein. Pad 170 may be molded into the fiber hold-down. Theother end of retainer arm 172 has formed thereon a boss or button 174which pushes against the receptacle fibers when retainer arm 172 is inthe actuated position, as shown in FIG. 7. Pushing of the fibers by boss174 causes the fibers to deflect out of the V-grooves. Fiber retainer164 is preferably biased, e.g., by a spring 176, toward the unactuatedposition, i.e., pushing pad 170 against the fibers to maintain them inthe V-grooves.

Tool 162 includes a body 178 which, like tool 130, also houses a supplyspool 180 of adhesive tape 182. Rollers 184 and 186 serve to positiontape 182 such that its adhesive side can again be advanced to clean thefiber tips. The fibers are deflected when tool 162 enters receptacle 14'by means of tilt linkage 166, which includes two tilt arms 188 and 190fixed together at another pivot point 192. A projection or actuator bump194 formed on the front end of tool 162 pushes against tilt arm 188 asthe tool is inserted into the receptacle. This in turn causes tilt arm190 to rotate and push against a catch or finger 196 attached to fiberretainer 164. Forcible contact between tilt arm 190 and finger 196causes fiber retainer 164 to pivot about point 168, thereby pushing boss174 against the fibers and deflecting them out of the V-grooves. Tape182 in tool 162 may be taken-up on another spool 198, or exit tool body178 in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 6 for tool 130. A smalldial or twist rod may be attached to take-up spool 198 and extendoutside of body 178 to allow the user to advance the tape.

Another modified receptacle 14" shown in FIG. 8 also has a mechanism tomove the fibers from their operative position to a cleaning position. Inthe embodiment of FIG. 8, however, the fibers are lifted from underneaththe V-grooves, rather than being pushed near a rearward portion of thefibers as in FIG. 7. Specifically, receptacle 14" has groove structures200 which include cutouts or notches 202 such that the fibers spannotches, and a fingerlike projection, or arm, 204 lies in notches 202.Arm 204 may be raised, however, which lifts the fibers out of V-grooves206 in a cleaning position, similar to that shown in FIG. 7. In theembodiment of FIG. 8, arm 204 is part of a fiber positioning piece 208which also includes another arm or actuation lever 210, and a trunnionor pivot pin 212. The lower half of the receptacle housing must berepositioned or pivoted to allow temporary placement of the fiberpositioning piece 208. Arm 204, actuation lever 210 and pivot pin 212are preferably integrally molded of the same material as the housing ofreceptacle 14", and fiber positioning piece 208 is attached by passingpin 212 through a hole in the side of the receptacle housing. In thismanner, when lever 210 is depressed, arm 204 will raise the fibers. Anadhesive tipped applicator is manually positioned to facilitate cleaningof the fiber end face. The applicator is preferably flexible (to preventmechanically damaging the fiber), and clear or transparent to allowviewing of the fiber as the adhesive tip of the applicator is broughtinto contact with the fiber end face.

FIGS. 9 and 10 depict a modified cable cleaner for a plug, wherein thedevice still includes means for moving the tip of the fiber from anoperative position to a cleaning position, but there is no cleaningmedia stored within the cable cleaner housing. Instead, an adhesivestrip is again manually touched to the tips of the fibers, as with thedevice of FIG. 8. The plug cleaner 214 of FIGS. 9 and 10 includes a toolbody 216 having an opening 218 for receiving plug 12, and appropriatefeatures such as that indicated at 220 to ensure that the plug isproperly oriented and retained in body 216. A camming surface 222 isagain provided to move door 58 of plug 12 sideways as the plug isinserted, so that the fibers therein may be accessed. Plug cleaner 214further has an actuation member 224 slidably mounted in body 216.Actuation member 224 has push rods, similar to push rods 140 (see FIG.8), and when actuation member 224 is fully inserted into body 216, therods enter holes 142 on door 58 and contact the fibers, urging them outof the plug body. The fibers are then exposed through another opening226 on the opposite side of body 216 (FIG. 10). The push rods preferablyhave V-shaped notches to control the outward movement of the fibers.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specificembodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limitingsense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiment, as well asalternative embodiments of the invention, will become apparent topersons skilled in the art upon reference to the description of theinvention. For example, the cable cleaners are described for use with aconnector in which the terminal portion of the fiber is bare andflexible, but the cleaner could easily be adapted to clean the ends offerrule connectors as well. It is therefore contemplated that suchmodifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope ofthe present invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. A device for cleaning the tip of a bare optical fiberretained in a connector, the device comprising:a tool body; means forreleasably attaching said tool body to the connector; cleaning medialocated in said tool body; and means for urging the tip of the opticalfiber from said connector and into contact with said cleaning media whensaid tool body is attached to the connector.
 2. The device of claim 1wherein said cleaning media comprises an adhesive strip.
 3. The deviceof claim 2 wherein said adhesive strip is wound on a supply spoollocated in said tool body.
 4. The device of claim 1 wherein saidcleaning media is positioned in said tool body such that the opticalfiber tip is generally perpendicular to said cleaning media when the tipcontacts said media.
 5. The device of claim 1 further comprising meansfor moving said cleaning media such that a fresh surface of saidcleaning media is presented to the tip of the optical fiber.
 6. Thedevice of claim 1 wherein said urging means is biased towards a firstposition in which said urging means does not affect the fiber, andmovable to a second position in which the fiber tip is urged intocontact with the cleaning media.
 7. A device for cleaning the tip of abare optical fiber retained in a plug, the device comprising:a tool bodyhaving an opening for receiving the plug; means for releasably attachingthe plug to said tool body when the plug is inserted in said openingthereof; cleaning media located in said tool body; and means for urgingthe tip of the optical fiber from the plug and into contact with saidcleaning media when the plug is fully inserted in said tool body.
 8. Thedevice of claim 7 wherein said cleaning media comprises an adhesivestrip.
 9. The device of claim 8 wherein said adhesive strip is wound ona supply spool located in said tool body.
 10. The device of claim 7wherein said cleaning media is positioned in said tool body such thatthe optical fiber tip is generally perpendicular to said cleaning mediawhen the tip contacts said media.
 11. The device of claim 7 furthercomprising means for moving said cleaning media such that a freshsurface of said cleaning media is presented to the tip of the opticalfiber.
 12. A device for cleaning the tip of a bare optical fiberretained in a connector, the device comprising:a tool body; means forreleasably attaching said tool body to the connector; and means,attached to said tool body, for moving the tip of the fiber from anoperative position to a cleaning position.